The Slytherin Half Blood Princess
by albernes Maedchen
Summary: Rose and Harry Potter are twins. Rose is the Girl-Who-Lived. After arriving at Hogwarts, their lives take a definite turn for the stranger.
1. A Trip to the Zoo

**A Trip to the Zoo**

"Rose, Harry! Wake up, now!" Her aunt's voice screeched outside her bedroom door. She let out a soft moan and rolled over. She heard Harry rustling around, obviously looking for socks. However, she was content to simply lay there and think about the dream she'd been having. There had been a man with dark hair and a smiling haughty face. However, she found that the more she tried to remember the dream, the faster it faded away.

Knowing she would have to get up sooner or later, she stretched out like a cat and flipped over so that she met the ground much sooner than she actually wanted to. "Ow," she uttered, while Harry looked at her with a bemused expression. She shrugged it off and sat up yawning.

She pulled an old hairbrush out from under her bed and began untangling her beautiful auburn hair's terrible bedhead. Sighing heavily, she said, "Come on, Harry, we have to go down there eventually." A thought passed through her head, and she added dully, "Today is Dudley's birthday." Harry sighed too. He raked his hands through his jet-black hair and walked out of the room.

Rose quickly checked the bathroom mirror for any of those annoying pre-pubescent acne bumps but was pleased to find none. She patted down her bangs to hide her lightning bolt scar and joined Harry for the long walk down the stairs.

She looked with uninterested eyes at the presents that adorned the table. Knowing that something doesn't belong to you certainly changes how you look at the object. Aunt Petunia finished cooking the eggs and bacon and gave the plates to the ones which they belonged since there was no space on the table.

"Thirty-six? That's two less than last year," Dudley commented. He'd been counting his presents.

"Who cares, Dudley?" spat Rose. "Don't be such a spoiled brat," she hissed, jabbing her fork at him. Dudley lowered his head in shame and Harry looked at Rose in awe; he didn't know how his sister always handled Dudley so easily.

"Did you count the one from Aunt Marge, dear?" Aunt Petunia asked.

"Thirty-seven then," Dudley said with his head still down.

Rose ate her breakfast with satisfaction. Plus, she was to go to the zoo today with the Dursleys.

* * *

><p>The ride over to the zoo was uneventful. Uncle Vernon had taken Rose and Harry aside to make sure that none of that "funny business" would go on. And they promised that they wouldn't do anything. It wasn't as though he believed them anyways.<p>

Rose was transfixed by the wolves when they passed by that cage. She'd never seen one before, and they just seemed to call to her, but when she turned around, she noticed that the Dursleys and Harry were nowhere to be seen. She bit her bottom lip and determined that they would have continued on the way that they hadn't gone yet. So, that's the way she went.

Up ahead was the reptile house, and Rose knew that Dudley wouldn't give up the chance to see a bunch of huge snakes. So, she moved quickly in the hopes of not losing the Dursleys again. She finally spotted them at a glass cage, but Dudley appeared to be getting frustrated and soon moved away. She walked up to the cage that he had been so interested in and saw a humongous snake; it was sleeping. She let a giggle escape her lips and started to move on, but a movement in her peripherals stopped her.

The snake had lifted its head and was looking right at her. She moved back in front of the glass and looked at the snake with curiosity. Her bright green eyes studied its yellow ones until one of them winked at her.

She smiled, but she didn't know why. She winked back and whispered, "I bet you get that all the time." The snake nodded his head vigorously, and Rose sighed. She looked at the sign next to the snake: Brazilian Boa Constrictor, Bred in Captivity. "That's terrible for you. Would you like to see Brazil?" It nodded vigorously again.

Rose looked around, not wanting to get in trouble by the Dursleys; she knew that they hated what she and Harry could do. They weren't looking at her, so she closed her eyes and imagined the glass disappearing. Sure enough, when she opened her eyes, the glass was gone, and the snake was quickly uncoiling itself. She stepped back into the shadows of the reptile house and watched the entire scene with people screaming and running. As it passed her, she thought she heard a hiss of, "Thanksss, amiga."

However, one person did not run; Rose noticed that Harry was watching her from the other side of the room. They were the only two left in the building. "What's your problem, Rose? Do you like just making trouble?" His vivid green eyes were glaring into her equally as vivid green eyes.

"Maybe," she whispered. "maybe it's more fun than just looking at animals in cages. I don't know why you don't do it more often. I doubt if you even could any more." He narrowed his eyes at the challenge and closed them in concentration.

Rose turned toward the cage that had previously held the boa constrictor. The glass began to materialize back into its original place. She smiled innocently at him and leaned over close to his ear whispering, "I knew you could do it, brother."

Harry looked away as if in shame. She grabbed his hand and quickly pulled him away from the reptile house so that the Dursleys would not find them there.

"Why do you talk to snakes, Rose? I can't do that," Harry commented on their way back to the Dursleys' car. She looked thoughtful for a moment.

"I'm not sure, but as soon as our real family comes to get us, we can ask them." Rose said, entirely sure of herself.

Harry just stared at her sadly; he wasn't quite the optimist that she was.


	2. The Mistake

**The Mistake**

Soon, the summer came, and Rose and Harry found that time spent outside was much more enjoyable than time spent inside. They often found themselves at the same park. It had two swings and hardly anyone else to share it with.

"Watch, Harry!" Rose called as she leaped out of her swing's seat and did a graceful pirouette towards the ground ending with a gentle landing.

"Don't do that, Rose! People might see…" he said worriedly, looking around.

Rose laughed at him, "You worry too much, you know? It's your turn. Show me something you can do."

Harry bit his lip, knowing the moment he tried something, all sorts of terrible things would happen. He reached down and picked up a daisy off of the ground. Holding and covering it with one hand so that only they could see it, he waved his other hand in front of it, making it open and close.

"There. Is that enough for you, Rose?"

"Never," she replied teasingly. She tilted her head skyward and said, "Change one of those. Make it look like me."

Harry looked at the clouds critically. He knew he could do it, but he also knew that there was no way he could cover up something of that magnitude. "Why would I change nature, Rose?" Anger flitted across her face briefly, but she covered it up quickly with a sweet smile. She brushed her hair back, posing for the moment.

"You changed the flower, did you not? Is that not nature? And besides, this cloud will change shapes again within minutes. I promise, this will be the last thing for a while," she said, knowing that that would make him do it because she always kept her word.

Harry took in her appearance carefully and looked towards the heavens, closing his eyes while he thought how he wanted it to happen. He opened them again, but instead of Rose being in the clouds, there was a large skull with a serpent coming out of its mouth. Rose gasped at the image, not knowing why, but feeling something had gone terribly wrong.

The sky suddenly grew dark and the wind picked up. Harry was yelling something at Rose, but she couldn't stop staring at the image until Harry jerked her by the hand away from it. He pulled her along behind him as fast as he could, but something told him to run faster.

Relief spread throughout Harry once they were in Privet Drive again, but he still didn't stop running. At the door, he looked back at Rose and saw what was behind her: a tornado. It had to have been ripping that park to pieces right now.

Rose, who seemed to have finally come to her senses, made for the cupboard under the stairs and pulled Harry inside with her. They could hear the freight train noises coming from outside and clung to each other fearfully.


	3. The Letters

**The Letters**

Silence. That's all that there was. Rose roused herself into consciousness, hardly realizing that she'd fallen asleep. She pushed Harry awake and carefully opened the door of the cupboard. The house seemed to be frozen in place; nothing had been moved. Licking her lips nervously, she made a dash for outside.

Screams met her ears as her eyes took in the devastation of the place that had once been her home. Harry rushed up quickly and held her so that she could not leave the house.

She looked into his eyes and asked, "Did you do this?"

His eyes burned with hurt as he denied it.

At that moment, Aunt Petunia decided to make an appearance. "Get inside, the both of you! It's dangerous outside!"

* * *

><p>Of course, the entire area pitched in to help in the rebuilding process. By the time Privet Drive was looking remotely anything like itself, it was already mid-July. The Dursleys had decided that they no longer had to help, especially since their property had not been harmed at all.<p>

So, they were all sitting down to eat breakfast together when they heard the mail slot click.

"Go get the mail, Dudley," Uncle Vernon grunted.

"Make Harry get it," Dudley whined back.

"Go get the mail, Harry," Uncle Vernon snorted.

"Make Rose get it," Harry said through a mouth full of food.

"Go get-" he started, but Rose had already stood up to go retrieve the mail. She sauntered down the hallway, glad to be out of range of the Dursleys' often mean glares. She picked up the letters and flicked through them: bill, bill, postcard, a letter for _Harry_, and _a letter for Rose_.

_Miss R. Potter_

_Medium-Sized Room_

_4 Privet Drive_

_Little Whinging_

_Surrey_

The envelope was thick and of yellowish parchment. The ink was emerald-green. Her eyes flitted curiously over the area that she knew was supposed to be devoted to stamps. On the other side was a purple wax seal bearing a coat of arms: a lion, an eagle, a badger, and a snake surrounding a large H.

"Hurry up in there! What are you doing, checking for letter bombs?" Uncle Dursley called, chuckling at his weak joke.

Rose opened her envelope quickly, pulling out more yellowish thick parchment.

She opened the letter and read:

HOGWARTS SCHOOL

_of _WITCHCRAFT _and_ WIZARDRY

Headmaster: Albus Dumbledore

_(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock,_

_Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards)_

Dear Miss Potter,

We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment.

Term begins on September 1. We await your owl by no later than July 31.

Yours sincerely,

Minerva McGonagall

_Deputy Headmistress_

Rose exhaled a breath that she'd been holding for almost thirty seconds. She knew it; these people were her real family. She pulled a second page off of the first one and read:

HOGWARTS SCHOOL

_of _WITCHCRAFT _and_ WIZARDRY

UNIFORM

First-year students will require:

Three sets of plain work robes (black)

One plain pointed hat (black) for day wear

One pair of protective gloves (dragon hide or similar)

One winter cloak (black, silver fastenings)

Please note that all pupils' clothes should carry name tags.

COURSE BOOKS

All students should have a copy of each of the following:

_The Standard Book of Spells (Grade 1) _by Miranda Goshawk

_A History of Magic _by Bathilda Bagshot

_Magical Theory _by Adalbert Waffling

_ A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration _by Emeric Switch

_ One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi _by Phyllida Spore

_ Magical Drafts and Potions _by Arsenius Jigger

_ Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them _by Newt Scamander

_ The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection _by Quentin Trimble

_Introduction to the Wizarding World _by Aleckzia Dragoon

OTHER EQUIPMENT

1 wand

1 cauldron (pewter, standard size 2)

1 set glass or crystal phials

1 telescope

1 set brass scales

Students may also bring an owl OR a cat OR a toad.

PARENTS ARE REMINDED THAT FIRST YEARS

ARE NOT ALLOWED THEIR OWN BROOMSTICKS

She wondered where she could get all of that, but that was not the biggest thing she had to worry about. Stomping into the kitchen, she threw the letter onto the table, yelling, "Why did you never tell us?"

The room went quiet as Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon stared with horrified faces at the letter.

"You were never supposed to find out," Aunt Petunia whispered. Harry inched closer to the letter, but Rose simply tossed him his own.

"Why? Because you wanted us to go to Stonewall High?" Rose was border-lining hysterics. Harry touched her arm to try to calm her. "Read it, Harry. All these years, and we didn't know!"

Aunt Petunia grabbed both of them by the hand and pulled them up to their bedroom. She took a deep breath as she motioned for them to sit. She remained standing and paced. "We thought if we ignored it, it would go away."

"Like we would go away?" Rose asked bitterly, her hair hiding her face.

"No, we just didn't want magic in the house, or even around us. You must understand, things were very different back then. Back when your parents died. I know that Vernon told you they died in a car crash, but that's a lie. They were murdered… by a very dark man. I don't know all of the details, but I imagine someone will tell them to you eventually. Another man, he left you two here after it happened. He gave us a single letter. He told us that you, Rose, had survived an attack from this man, and that's where your scar came from," she looked at them expectantly, as if waiting for questions.

Rose looked up from under her hair, "Our parents were like us too? They could do all this neat stuff?"

Aunt Petunia nodded, "And more, I'm sure. But that's enough about the past for now. Hogwarts. I remember some things about it. My sister, Lily, got her letter when she was your age." Rose thought she saw her Aunt Petunia's eyes glistening, but the next moment was sure she'd imagined it. "A school official came to take her and our parents to buy her school things one day. And then, on September 1, she left. That's about as much as you need to know. Be sure that when an owl comes back to send a reply with it; a school official will take you through all of the school procedures, I'm sure." She turned quickly and left the room.

Rose nudged the worn carpeting with her toes, waiting for Harry to finish reading his letter. A low whistle let Rose know that he was finished, and she looked up expectantly. He was rereading the second letter and said, "How are we supposed to pay for this?"


	4. Diagon Alley

**Diagon Alley**

The next day, they awoke not to Aunt Petunia tapping on their door, but to an owl tapping on their window. Rose let it in at once and scratched a response of yes on a small piece of paper with Harry's and her names on it, and she handed it to the owl. She watched as it took off into the morning sky.

Not even two hours passed before they received another owl telling them that Harry would be taken into wizarding London the next day from eight in the morning to noon, and Rose would be picked up at noon and brought back at four.

Rose couldn't sleep at all that night, wondering what this world could possibly be like. She knew that it took Harry a long time to fall asleep, too; it was around one in the morning before she heard his breathing become regular. It was a while longer before she lost consciousness as well.

* * *

><p>When she woke the next morning, it was obviously past eight since Harry was gone. She rubbed her forehead in confusion before she remembered that today was the day she would finally be introduced into the wizarding world. She chastised herself a little for not being awake when the school official had come to collect Harry. Rubbing her eyes tiredly, she looked at the clock hanging on their wall: 11:35. She let out a little gasp, and ran around the room looking for something to put on.<p>

She brushed her hair hurriedly and checked herself in the mirror. She wore a simple summer dress and quickly decided to let her hair stay down. Its wavy curls were very pretty today.

The doorbell rang, and she ran to the top of the stairs. Aunt Petunia was just answering the door.

"Can I help- Severus?" Shock filled her aunt's voice. "What are you doing here?" Anger?

"Petunia," said a curt voice. "I am here to escort the young Miss Potter to collect her school things, of course. If you would not mind informing her that I am here, I would be most grateful." A tall, dark-haired man with a sullen face appeared in the doorway.

Rose watched the interactions between the two of them before presenting herself, "No need! Here I am."

The look on his face when she appeared stopped her dead in her tracks. Aunt Petunia had been watching his face and said, "No, it's not just your imagination, but you best be going now, oughtn't you?"

"Yes," he said in a strained voice, "Yes, we should be. Come, Miss Potter."

Rose stepped down the rest of the stairs and stuck out her hand in front of her, "My name is Rose Potter, and you are?"

He looked down at her, now successfully masking his facial features. "Severus Snape, Potions Master at Hogwarts, and you may call me Professor Snape, Miss Potter." Rose pulled back her hand feeling somewhat rejected, but followed him out the door anyway.

"How are we going to get to wizarding London, Professor Snape?" Rose asked.

"We are going to Apparate because not only is it the quickest way, but also because I despise the Muggle world," he replied without as much as a glance in her direction.

"What does Muggle mean?" she asked, also wondering where he was taking her to.

"Non-magic, and we are going to a secluded location where we can Apparate without alerting Muggles to our presence," he muttered. He stopped eventually and held out his arm; Rose watched him with fascination.

He looked down at her with an exasperated expression, "Hold onto my arm, Miss Potter. Tightly." She grabbed his arm firmly and wondered what was about to happen when she felt like she had been squeezed into a very small tube, and all the air was being pushed out of her. Just when she thought she couldn't take it any longer, she felt her feet hit ground again, and air went rushing back into her lungs. Her knees began to buckle, but Professor Snape grabbed her arm to stop her from falling.

"What was that?" she gasped.

Professor Snape replied emotionlessly, "Apparation. Do not worry; you will not be doing it again any time soon, besides when we have to go back. You are not allowed to get your license until your seventeenth birthday."

Rose nodded, wondering why he was so blank. She looked around her just then and noticed that they were inside an alleyway close to a main street. Professor Snape began walking out, so she followed quickly. He walked up to a very small pub between two huge stores; Rose probably would have missed it if he hadn't shown it to her.

He opened the door and allowed her entrance first. Once inside, she noticed that there were many people, and she wondered if they were all witches and wizards. She didn't have much time to ponder, however; Professor Snape grabbed her upper arm and steered her away from any people and towards the back of the pub. There was an exit outside, and they took that into a small alley with a brick wall dead end.

Professor Snape pulled out his wand and tapped an odd combination onto the bricks. When he finished, a hole appeared in the middle and grew until there was a large entranceway into another street.

Stowing his wand again, he said, "Miss Potter, this is Diagon Alley."

Rose's eyes were wide with awe; right in front of her were an apothecary and a cauldron shop. She wondered what other delightful things she might come across here.

However, Professor Snape led her swiftly past all these shops that held owls, magical instruments, wizarding books, Quidditch (?) supplies, more books, and a place that sold robes.

They stopped in front of a tall, white marble building with the label of Gringotts. However, what was standing outside the bronze front doors made Rose cringe, grab Professor Snape's robes, and hide behind him.

He let out a sigh of exasperated sigh, "That is just a goblin. He will not mess with you if you do not mess with him." Rose looked up at him with terrified eyes, so he took her hand, unclasped it from his robes, and held it with his own.

Together, they walked up to the front doors where the goblin there bowed them inside. Inside was a pair of silver doors with something engraved upon them:

_Enter, stranger, but take heed_

_Of what awaits the sin of greed,_

_For those who take, but do not earn,_

_Must pay most dearly in their turn._

_So if you seek beneath our floors_

_A treasure that was never yours,_

_Thief, you have been warned, beware_

_Of finding more than treasure there._

Professor Snape snorted his distaste of the message. Rose glanced at him, trying to figure out what he was thinking, but his expression was just blank. She didn't know how anyone could do that.

They continued onward through the silver doors; Rose's hand tightened around his when she saw the some hundred other goblins working inside, but Professor Snape refused to stop and kept going until they reached a free goblin.

"Good afternoon. We need to make a withdrawal from Miss Rose Potter's safe," he said smoothly.

"You have her key, sir?"

"Yes, I do," he replied, pulling a tiny, golden key from his pocket.

The goblin looked at it closely before confirming it to be in order. "I will have someone take you down there. Fanglit!"

Another goblin appeared, and he led them to one of the doors leading off of the hall. Fanglit held the door open for them, and Rose was slightly surprised at the dungeon-like appearance of this new area. Fanglit whistled, and a cart rolled up on a little railway.

They climbed in and zoomed off into a maze of twisted passages. Rose could feel her non-existent breakfast churning, so she closed her eyes until an abrupt stop almost unseated her.

When she opened her eyes, Fanglit had already gotten out and was in the process of opening the vault. Rose eyes grew wide at all the gold, silver, and bronze coins. There were so many.

Professor Snape took a bag and began to fill it up with what he knew she would need. Then he handed it to her. "The gold ones are Galleons, silver are Sickles, and bronze are Knuts. Seventeen Sickles make a Galleon, and twenty-nine Knuts make a Sickle.

"Time to go, Miss Potter," he said stiffly.

Rose nodded, knowing better than to question him, for some reason.

The cart ride back up wasn't as thrilling as the way down since they were going up then. Once they were standing back out in the bright sunlight, Professor Snape said, "Let's go get your trunk first, since I highly doubt you have one of those." Rose just followed him, not really knowing what to say to him anymore.

They walked silently along the street, finally stopping at a junk shop.

"Why aren't we getting my stuff brand-new?" Rose asked worriedly.

Professor Snape closed his eyes momentarily, as if begging the gods for patience. "Antiques are always more precious than things that are brand-new, and they often cost more, as well."

Rose let out a small "oh" and continued inside with him. The shop was slightly musty-smelling, but was otherwise clean and filled with old things.

Professor Snape walked up to the old lady at the counter and asked what kind of trunks they had right now. The lady directed them to a corner that had trunks lining the wall. She then left them to decide which they wanted.

Rose looked at the trunks; some were mahogany and others were cream-colored or black. Rose pointed to a mahogany trunk with emerald metal corners and lock. Professor Snape unconsciously nodded in approval and motioned the lady back to them. Rose paid seven galleons to the lady for the trunk. Professor Snape took out his wand and waved it over the trunk. The letters RAP appeared in emerald green letters above the lock. Rose liked it, but she frowned.

"How do you know what my middle name is?"

"I do not. That is part of the spell," he replied, but Rose didn't think he was being completely truthful.

Then he waved his wand again over the trunk and it disappeared. Rose gasped, but he reassured her that she would see it again.

They went to get her wand next since it was closest. There was dust everywhere inside of Ollivander's. It made Rose have a sneezing fit. When she was finished, she became very aware of the old man standing less than three feet in front of her. He had wide, pale eyes that made Rose think of moons.

When he spoke, his voice was just a whisper, "I was wondering when I'd be seeing you, Miss Potter. Your brother was in here earlier. Ebony and unicorn hair, eight and a half inches, springy. I'm sure that he will like it.

"You look just like your mother. It seems only yesterday she was in here, buying her first wand. Ten and a quarter inches long, swishy, made of willow. Nice wand for charm work.

"Your father, on the other hand, favored a mahogany wand. Eleven inches. Pliable. A little more power and excellent for transfiguration. Well, I say your father favored it – it's really the wand that chooses the wizard, of course."

Mr. Ollivander had now come so close that they were almost nose to nose. Rose swallowed hard.

"And that's where…" he said, touching a long, white finger to Rose's scar.

"Mr. Ollivander, if you would not mind _not_ terrifying my student on her first trip into the wizarding world," Professor Snape said coldly.

Mr. Ollivander looked up at Professor Snape steadily, "Professor Snape, how nice to see you again… Blackthorn, twelve and three-quarters inches, stiff, isn't it?"

"Yes, it is, but you really should pay more attention to Miss Potter. We have not got all day," he said, looking down his nose at Mr. Ollivander.

"Hmmm, well now – Miss Potter. Let me see. Which is your wand arm?"

"I'm right-handed?" Rose said unsure, holding out her right hand. He took a measuring tape and measured all over Rose, making her feel a little violated.

"Every Ollivander wand has a core of a powerful magical substance, Miss Potter. We use unicorn hairs, phoenix tail feathers, and the heartstrings of dragons. No two Ollivander wands are the same, just as no two unicorns, dragons, or phoenixes are quite the same. And of course, you will never get such good results with another wizard's wand.

"That will do," he called to the tape measure which had been measuring the widths of her fingernails by itself. Mr. Ollivander was taking down different boxes from the walls. "Right then, Miss Potter. Try this one. Beechwood and dragon heartstring. Nine inches. Nice and flexible. Just take it and give it a wave."

Rose took the wand eagerly and waved it around, but it was snatched almost immediately back by Mr. Ollivander. He handed her another one, "Maple and phoenix feather. Seven inches. Quite whippy. Try –" She had almost waved that one, but he took it from her again.

"No, no – here, oak and unicorn hair, twelve inches, swishy. Go on, go on, try it out." But he took it from her again. She wondered how many more wands she would have to try out; by the look on Professor Snape's face, he figured they would be there all day.

"Tricky customer, eh? Not to worry, we'll find the perfect match here somewhere – I wonder, now – yes, why not – unusual combination – holly and phoenix feather, eleven inches, nice and supple."

Rose took it and felt an immediate warmth to her fingers. A feeling of completeness hit her right before she brought it above her head and waved it around. A shower of green and silver sparks shot from the end. She turned to look at Professor Snape and saw him looking at her with a piercing expression.

"Oh, bravo! Yes, indeed, oh, very good. Well, well, well… how curious… how very curious…"

He took the wand, put it in its box, and wrapped it in brown paper. "Curious… curious…"

"What's curious?" Rose asked with a confused expression on her face.

Mr. Ollivander looked at Professor Snape intensely before responding, "I remember every wand I've ever sold, Miss Potter. Every single wand. It so happens that the phoenix whose tail feather is in your wand, gave another feather – just one other," she felt Professor Snape appear close behind her and grip her shoulder.

"Do you really believe this necessary information, Mr. Ollivander?" he asked coldly.

"No, of course, not. But she did ask…" he said weakly.

"Yes, I did ask, Professor Snape, because I want to know," Rose responded with fierce determination in her face. She turned back towards Mr. Ollivander and said, "Please finish."

"It is curious indeed that you should be destined for this wand when its brother – why, its brother gave you that scar."

Rose shivered. "Yes, thirteen and a half inches. Yew. Curious indeed how these things happen. The wand chooses the wizard, remember… I think we must expect great things from you, Miss Potter… After all, He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named did great things – terrible, yes, but great."

Rose quickly paid him seven gold Galleons for her wand, and Mr. Ollivander bowed them from his shop.

Once outside, Rose exhaled deeply. She looked at Professor Snape, saying, "You know more than my aunt did, and I need to know. Plus, I'm hungry," she said, suggesting the café that was right next to Ollivander's.

"I do not think that is the most appropriate place to eat, Miss Potter," he said almost bitterly.

She scoffed, "Don't be ridiculous, and by the way, I'm not in school yet, so quit trying to protect me from things I should actually know." She walked into the café, quickly realizing why he hadn't wanted to come here. However, she refused to let him have his way, so she sat at a table stubbornly, watching as he sat down awkwardly with her.

All around them were couples, very lovey-dovey couples. The walls were adorned with very suggestive pictures of both sexes, and to stop herself from looking at them, Rose picked up the menu, trying to ignore all the hearts on it. She ordered a water (she didn't recognize any of the other beverages) and a turkey sandwich. Professor Snape ordered something called a butterbeer.

It didn't take long for Rose to realize that he wasn't going to volunteer any information, so she asked, "Who killed my parents and… how did you know them?"

He narrowed his eyes at her, "I did not know your parents-"

"You knew Aunt Petunia," she interrupted quietly.

He went silent for a moment, before saying bitterly, "Your mother and I were childhood friends. You could be her twin." Rose fell silent after that too. "Your parents were killed by the Dark Lord."

"Who is that and when did it happen? I need to know my own story if I'm to go to school in the wizarding world," Rose said desperately.

"Yes, I suppose, you do," he started, "There was a dark wizard who was very powerful. He had gained the support of dozens of other witches and wizards who believed the same thing about his pureblood superiority. Pureblood means that there are no non-magical people in your ancestry. Neither of us is pureblooded. Anyway, the Dark Lord decided that he wanted to kill your entire family. Do not ask me why. It was Halloween night in 1981; he showed up at your house. Your father tried to hold him off and told your mother to take you and Harry and run. She did not do this because she… loved him." He stopped for a moment to gather his thoughts. "The Dark Lord killed your father and walked up the stairs to the nursery where your mother had you two in her arms.

"He killed her and then moved on to you. We are still unsure what happened then, but we do know that the Dark Lord was going to kill you and then Harry. But, when he sent the killing curse at you, it rebounded, and the Dark Lord fled, broken. Your scar comes from his killing curse, and so it is a cursed scar." She touched her scar self-consciously, and he got his first look at it. It was shaped like a lightning bolt and colored purple.

"What happened after that?" she whispered.

"Dumbledore had you brought to live with your aunt and uncle, the only living relatives you had left."

Thoughts swirled around, pieces were fitting into place, and Rose was beginning to understand.

"That's why you didn't want me in the Leaky Cauldron too long, isn't it? I would've attracted attention?"

"Yes, people are dangerous at times, and I thought it best to keep your identity secret," he muttered.

She blinked. "What do you mean?"

He regarded her for a moment, "There are still followers of the Dark Lord out in the world, Miss Potter. This world has not been safe for a very long time."

Rose looked into his eyes and said, "I know there's something you're not telling me, but that's okay. I'm sure I'll find out one day."

His eyes followed her as she stood up from the booth they were at and walked outside. "Yes, I have no doubt you will." He stood and followed her.

"What kind of pet would you like, Miss Potter?" he asked once he had caught up to her.

She barely took a moment to think about it, "A cat, because I'm not too fond of toads or birds."

"Alright, then let us make our next stop to the Magical Menagerie," he said, leading her to a small, dark shop. Inside, most all she could make out were eyes until she got closer. Twenty minutes later, they left the shop; Rose had a white kitten with bright blue eyes in a small cage. It had been the kitten's ears that had attracted her. They were similar to a lynx but silver in color. Professor Snape waved his wand over the cage and it disappeared just like her trunk had, but when she offered her wand, he shook his head and told her to keep that with her at all times.

"Where to next, Professor Snape?"

"Madam Malkin's Robes for Every Occasion; however, our only occasion is school," he said with a glimmer of a smile on his face. Rose wondered what had put him into such a better mood but decided not to question it.

As they were walking past Gringotts again, Rose turned to look down the opposite way, "What is down that street?"

Professor Snape walked back over to her and replied, "That is Knockturn Alley. It houses many of the darker arts shops in the area. It is not the place to be caught if one has a reputation to keep up."

They walked to Madam Malkin's shop noticeably faster than before, but once again, Rose didn't bother to ask why. Inside was a pale-faced blonde girl, already getting fitted for robes.

Professor Snape walked over to her mother, exchanging pleasantries. A middle-aged witch approached Rose, making sure she was going to Hogwarts before standing her up on a footstool like the blonde girl.

The girl looked at Professor Snape and then back at Rose with narrowed eyes. She held her head a little higher before her mother came over.

"Daphne, this is Rose Potter. She's going to be in your class at Hogwarts," her mother said, watching Daphne's icy blue eyes widened in shock and came to rest on the floor. She seemed to be silently reprimanding her.

Professor Snape walked in front of Rose, "Miss Potter, Daphne Greengrass. Perhaps, now you will have more to talk about."

They watched their guardians walk back over so they could talk. Daphne met Rose's eyes cautiously, "Sorry, I thought you were a Muggleborn. I guess, you have special circumstances though. Usually, only Muggleborns shop with teachers."

"That's okay," Rose replied, unsure of herself now that she was actually being thrown into a conversation with another girl her age that also shared her gift.

Daphne smiled at her, "Do you know which House you'll be in?"

"House?"

"Oh, I'm sorry, I thought that Snape would have told you about them. Well, there are four Houses: Slytherin, Ravenclaw, Gryffindor, and Hufflepuff. Slytherin is by far," her voice shot up in pitch at this word, "the best of them all! I mean, like, Ravenclaw would be bearable, but the other two? I think I would like die or something." She shook her white halo of hair around disdainfully.

Rose lifted her arms for the witch to pin something. "But how is it decided what House you're put into?"

"Well, like, it has something to do with like your personality or something, I think," she smiled again.

"You're all done, Miss Greengrass," said the witch working on her. Daphne thanked her and hopped down.

She started to leave with her mother but turned around and said, "I'll see you on the Hogwarts Express!"

Professor Snape walked over to her and stared down his nose at her, saying coldly, "Glad to see you are making friends, Miss Potter."

"Okay, dearie, you're all done here," said the witch fixing her robes. Rose stepped down immediately, not wanting to be so close to Professor Snape any longer. She paid for her uniform and left.

They went to Flourish and Blotts next. While they waited for their books, Rose asked, "What are the differences between the school Houses?"

It sounded as though Professor Snape let out a slight groan. "I would prefer not to go into that. The sorting hat will tell all you need to know." He remained silent after that, so Rose decided not to question him anymore.

After getting her books, they went to the stationery shop next door to get her quills and parchment. Rose was fascinated by the thought of writing with quills.

Then they stopped by the apothecary to pick up everything she needed for Potions, and they finished up by going across the street to pick up a cauldron.

After Professor Snape vanished her cauldron away too, he said, "It's time to go, Miss Potter."

He held out his arm, but before she took it, she asked, "Why can I speak to snakes?"


	5. Preparations

**Preparations**

That night, Rose lay awake talking to Harry about their day's excursions. A witch by the name of Professor Sprout had taken Harry to get his belongings. Though they had all the same things, Rose felt like she had better things. Like her trunk. Harry's was brand-new, but it just didn't hold the same elegance as hers did. He had a new owl, which he had named Hedwig, but she was content enough to sleep with her white furball. She still wasn't sure what to name it.

Also, she knew his wand didn't have nearly as awesome a story as hers did. She kept this to herself though; she wasn't quite ready to share. She tilted her head slightly so that she could see her ticket onto the Hogwarts Express: Platform 9 ¾.

"Rose?"

"Yeah?"

"Are we gonna be special at this school?"

Rose turned on her side and used her elbow as a prop for her head so that she could look at him. "I think that I'm going to be special."

* * *

><p>The rest of the summer flew by in a blur of the Dursleys being terrified of the twins and the twins spending most of their time wrapped up in learning new spells in their bedroom.<p>

"_Wingardium Leviosa!"_ Harry cried, flicking and swishing.

"No, no. You have it backwards! Swish then flick," Rose said, pulling out her wand to demonstrate.

She said the incantation and did the proper wand motions, and became amazed when Harry began to levitate a couple of centimeters off the ground. He laughed nervously and let out a small yelp when she let him down; it wasn't a smooth landing.

"Sorry, I guess I'll have to work on that part," Rose said through a fit of giggles.

Harry worked on that until he had it perfect. Then they decided to move on to Transfiguration.

* * *

><p>September 1 approached more rapidly than either of them expected, but they preferred that. Two days before they needed to be in London at Kings Cross, Rose decided to ask Aunt Petunia for a ride over there.<p>

"Aunt Petunia?"

"Hm?"

"We need to be at Kings Cross in two days to go to Hogwarts."

"Mhm."

"Are you going to take us there?"

"Mhm."

"Okay… thanks."

Rose walked around the house that she had lived in for the past ten years of her life. It was strange to think that she would be leaving soon, and she wondered if Hogwarts would be the home that she had for so long wanted Privet Drive to be.

The Dursleys had never made the twins feel very comfortable about their living there. Rose often wondered why, but she supposed it could be worse. The Dursleys could have sent them to the orphanage or not fed them or something even worse. She did have to be somewhat grateful, but she had to wonder how pleased that the Dursleys were that they wouldn't have to deal with Harry and her but for two months out of the year from now until they were legal adults.

Sighing, Rose sat down on the small garden bench that was more for show than actually sitting on. Luckily, she was small, so she knew it wouldn't break under her weight. She looked at the garden that she had put so much effort into over the years. It was strange that this was the only thing that she and Aunt Petunia had ever bonded over. Aunt Petunia had taught both Rose and Harry how to cook, but after they knew the basics, she never cooked with them.

Rose fingered a flower tenderly, dismay filling her face as the flower turned black and withered. She recoiled from the dead flower and swiftly ran back inside with tears in her eyes and fear in her heart.


	6. The Hogwarts Express

**The Hogwarts Express**

Aunt Petunia took just the twins to Kings Cross; she thought it would be easier that way. She dropped them off at the gate with twenty minutes to spare, helped them get their stuff on trolleys, and left.

Rose and Harry looked at each other.

"Did Professor Sprout tell you how to get there?"

"Sort of. We can try what I got from what she told me," he said uneasily.

"So, she said that all we have to do is walk through this barrier here," he said, pointing at a very solid brick wall between Platforms 9 and 10. Rose walked to get a closer look at it. She reached out her fingers to touch it and was shocked when they went through it. She recoiled immediately, hoping that no one had seen.

She backed up to where Harry was. "It's magic! The barrier is like a portal or something," she whispered. She straightened her trolley up with the barrier and said, "See you on the other side, Harry."

She darted towards the barrier swiftly, keeping her eyes open. She saw that she was a foot from the barrier, but the next second, a scarlet steam engine was materializing in front of her. There was a wrought-iron archway overhead that said _Platform Nine and Three-Quarters._ She smiled and waited for Harry to make his appearance, which he did less than thirty seconds later.

They pushed their trolleys through the hordes of people and pets until they found an empty compartment near the end of the train. First, they put their sleeping animals inside the compartment. Then they went back to put their trunks in there. However, it seemed that no matter how hard they tried, the trunk just would not get up high enough.

"Want a hand?" a voice asked behind them. It belonged to a tall, red-headed boy.

"Yes, please," Harry said, sweat forming in small beads on his forehead.

"Oy, Fred! C'mere and help!"

A boy who looked just like him appeared and the three boys were able to put both trunks into the compartment. Rose just watched after the twins appeared.

"Thank you," Rose said, flashing them a smile.

"No prob," one of them said. He was looking at her with interest, but his twin quickly pulled him away, saying something about a giant tarantula.

They sat inside the compartment quietly, listening to the families outside.

"Ron, you've got something on your nose."

Rose sat up a little so that she could see out the window. There was another red-headed boy there with the twins and their mother. She could see the one named Ron trying to squirm out of his mother's clutches. "_Mum_ – geroff."

The twins chuckled, one saying, "Aaah, has ickle Ronnie got somefink on his nosie?"

"Shut up," Ron shot back.

"Where's Percy?" their mother asked, trying to avoid an argument.

"He's coming now," one of the twins affirmed.

An even older red-headed boy came striding into view. He was already wearing his Hogwarts uniform. Rose noticed there was a shiny silver badge on his chest with the letter _P_ on it.

"Can't stay long, Mother. I'm up front, the prefects have got two compartments to themselves –"

"Oh, are you a _prefect_, Percy?" started one of the twins, with a great amount of surprise. "You should have said something, we had no idea."

"Hang on, I think I remember him saying something about it. Once –"

"Or twice –"

"A minute –"

"All summer –"

"Oh, shut up," Percy said.

"How come Percy gets new robes, anyway?" asked one of the twins.

"Because he's a _prefect_," their mother said fondly. "All right, dear, well, have a good term – send me an owl when you get there." She kissed the oldest boy on the cheek and he left.

"Now, you two – this year, you behave yourselves. If I get one more owl telling me you've – you've blown up a toilet or –"

"Blown up a toilet? We've never blown up a toilet."

"Great idea though, thanks, Mum."

"It's _not funny_. And look after Ron," she said, trying to rub his nose again, but he managed to dodge her.

"Don't worry, ickle Ronniekins is safe with us."

"Shut up," Ron repeated.

A whistle sounded and their mother yelled for them to hurry up. The three boys climbed onto the train, leaning out the window to kiss their mother good-bye. Rose heard a girl begin to cry and just realized that they had a younger sister with them.

"Don't, Ginny, we'll send you loads of owls."

"We'll send you a Hogwarts toilet seat!"

"_George!_"

"Only joking, Mum."

The train began to move and Rose could see the boys' mother waving and their sister, who was partly crying and partly laughing, ran to keep up with the train until it was going too fast, so she stopped and waved.

Rose sat back in her seat as the door to their compartment opened, and the youngest red-headed son walked in, asking, "Anyone sitting there? Everywhere else is full."

Rose and Harry both shook their heads, so the boy sat down. Rose could see that he still had a black smudge on his nose.

"Hey, Ron," said one of the twins who had just made a reappearance. Rose blushed and didn't look up. "Listen, we're going down the middle of the train – Lee Jordan's got a giant tarantula down there."

"Right," Ron mumbled back.

The twin that hadn't spoken yet was looking at Rose intently. "George, we didn't even introduce ourselves. Shame on us! I'm Fred Weasley, that's my twin, George, and this is our younger brother, Ron."

"Rose Potter," she started but stopped as they all gasped.

Ron blurted out, "_The_ Rose Potter?"

"No, Ron, the not-famous Rose Potter. She's just pulling your leg," George answered him sarcastically.

"But, do you really have the – you know…" he asked, pointing to her forehead.

She looked at the floor, weighing her options. She could be completely rude and refuse to show him, or she could let things play out easily.

She raised her bangs and listened to their different forms of wow's.

"That's totally cool. Anyway, you ready, Fred?"

"Ready, George!"

Rose leaned back against her seat with the boys on the other side of the compartment. They had started up a conversation, but she didn't feel like joining in, so she pulled a book that Professor Snape had suggested along with her required texts, 1001 Useful and Easy Magic Tricks, out from her trunk and began to practice a binding spell around Harry's legs. He continued with his conversation, fully trusting her not to do any permanent damage to him.

After about four tries, feeble ropes shot of the end and limply lay around his feet.

Harry grinned at her, "Nice try, Sis."

A couple tries of doing this again, and she had managed a simple knot around her brother's ankles. Pleased with herself, she moved on to fire. She was insecure about this at first, but then she read that the flames could be held in her hand, so she didn't think it could be too dangerous.

After a couple of hours, Rose was cautiously holding a small greenish-blue flame in her hand. Harry and Ron were staring at it with curiosity, and it was at this time that an old witch called out to their compartment, "Anything off the cart, dears?"

Harry stood immediately and went to investigate. Rose looked for the way to extinguish the fire, and then closed her hand over the flame. It died in a small puff of smoke. It was then that Rose noticed that Ron had a pet, "Nice rat, by the way." Harry dumped two armfuls of snacks onto the seat next to Rose.

"Hungry?" Ron asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I'm starving," Harry replied to him.

Ron pulled out a couple of sandwiches. "She always forgets I don't like corned beef."

"Trade you for one of these," Harry said, holding up a pasty. Rose picked up a Cauldron Cake and opened it slowly, as if it were going to explode, but when she finally took a taste of it, she was very pleased.

"Who is Dumbledore?"

"You've never heard of Dumbledore?" Ron asked in utter shock.

"He's the Headmaster of Hogwarts," Rose clarified, barely looking up from her book.

"Oh, yeah," Harry said and began to read, "'Considered by many the greatest wizard of modern times, Dumbledore is particularly famous for his defeat of the dark wizard Grindelwald in 1945, for the discovery of the twelve uses of dragon's blood, and his work on alchemy with his partner, Nicolas Flamel. Professor Dumbledore enjoys chamber music and tenpin bowling.' That's interesting."

Rose was reading up on how to unlock something when Harry gasped.

"He's gone!" He was turning the card over and over. Rose took the card and inspected it as well.

"Well, you can't expect him to hang around all day. He'll be back," Ron said matter-of-factly.

Rose returned to her book, making a mental note that pictures move in the wizarding world. She really wished she had a lock to practice this new spell on, but the only ones that were near were the ones on their trunks.

There was a knock on their compartment door and a round-faced boy walked in. He looked like he was about to cry. "Sorry, but have any of you seen a toad at all?"

The boys shook their heads, but Rose jumped up and said, "I'll help you look for him."

Harry looked at Rose questioningly, but she didn't respond to him; instead, she walked out into the corridor with the boy.

"I'm Neville, by the way, Neville Longbottom."

"Rose Potter."

He seemed like he wanted to attack her with questions like the Weasleys had, but from her face, he decided to think better of that idea. So he opted just to nod politely.

They had come upon the next compartment; Rose knocked on the door. There were four people inside: three girls and a boy. One of the girls had fluffy brown hair and rather large front teeth. Another one was very tan with long straight black hair. The other girl had short straight dark hair, and the boy had spiky black hair. They seemed to be in deep discussion.

"Excuse me, but has anyone seen a toad? My friend, Neville, has lost his," Rose asked.

They shook their heads, but one of the girls stood up and asked if they needed any help looking.

They accepted her help immediately. Her name was Hermione Granger, and it was from her that Rose found out that she was in _Modern Magical History_, _The Rise and Fall of the Dark Arts_, and _Great Wizarding Events of the Twentieth Century. _Her head spun a little at that information, but she recovered quickly. She needed to get adjusted to being famous.

They went around to quite a few of the compartments, but soon they were at the front of the train. They spoke briefly with the conductor who told them that they were almost there and that they should probably change soon.

Rose, Hermione, and Neville moved back towards the compartment that Harry and Ron were still in. Right as they passed the middle of the train, three boys pushed roughly past them and moved on muttering angrily about rabid rats.

Rose moved more swiftly and noticed that the door was cracked slightly. She pulled out her wand, whispering, "_Reparo!_"

She looked at Harry and Ron who had clearly just been in some type of tussle. "What just happened?" she asked them indignantly. She looked up and pulled a frightened white kitten down from the racks.

"Some kid named Malfoy was looking for you," Harry replied, wiping blood off away from his nose. "We told him to go away because you weren't interested in making his type of friends."

Rose smiled, "Oh, okay, thanks then." Hermione looked at her in bewilderment.

"That's all? They were fighting before we even reached school, and that's okay?" she asked.

"Well, yeah, but they were protecting me. It's different," Rose said matter-of-factly. Hermione stared for a moment before looking at Ron and saying, "You've got dirt on your nose, did you know?" Then she and Neville left.

Ron rubbed his nose roughly. Rose began to dig through her trunk and pulled out her uniform swiftly. She looked at the boys pointedly, who understood after a moment and left the compartment. She changed as quickly as she could, admiring the feel of the robes against her body.

She opened the compartment door and let them change. Afterwards, they sat back down to wait for the train to begin slowing down. Rose put her kitten back in her basket, looking at her white fur that reminded her so much of snow. "Wenlock!" she cried out, receiving startled looks from Harry and Ron. "I've just figured out what to call her," she told them, stroking her kitten's fur before latching the basket shut. She tried to remember where she'd read the name at, but she couldn't. It was from one of her books, someone famous.

After a little while, the train started to slow down, much to the children's increasing anxiety. A voice over a loud system told them to leave their belongings on the train and to exit quickly.

Rose hopped off of the train, looking around expectantly. A booming voice was calling for first years, and Rose looked up into the face of gigantic man. Other short people like herself gathered around him, and when he was sure that he had all of them, they headed down a slippery path where no one said much.

"Yeh'll get yer firs' sight o' Hogwarts in a sec," the giant called over his shoulder, "jus' round this bend here."

Rose let out a small gasp as a vast castle with sparkling windows stood out against the starry sky. It was on top of a high mountain. They continued to the edge of a lake and saw about a dozen small boats floating near the edge.

"No more'n four to a boat!" the giant called.

Rose climbed carefully into a boat and was followed by Hermione and Neville while Harry stood looking between Rose and Ron; he walked to another boat with Ron. However, Rose was pleased to see Daphne make an appearance and take the fourth spot in their boat.

The giant got into a boat all to himself, shouting, "Everyone in? Right then – FORWARD!"

The boats began to move all at once across the silent black lake. Rose stared at the castle in awe; she was going to go to school here.

"Heads down!" she heard the giant yell, barely able to comprehend what he was talking about when Daphne pulled her down so that she wouldn't be decapitated.

"Thanks," Rose whispered rather breathlessly.

Daphne just shook her head and stood up to join Hermione and Neville who were already standing outside the boat. Rose climbed out quickly.

"Oy, you there! Is this your toad?" the giant asked Neville.

"Trevor!" Neville cried, rushing over to get his toad. The giant then led the way up a passageway in the rock, finally coming out onto damp grass that was in the shadow of the castle. They walked up a flight of stone steps and crowded around the huge, oak front door.

"Everyone here? You there, still got yer toad?" The giant then raised a huge fist and knocked three times on the castle door.


	7. A Strange Sorting

**A Strange Sorting**

A tall, black-haired witch in emerald-green robes opened the door. Rose could tell just by looking at her that this was one tough teacher.

"The firs' years, Professor McGonagall," said the giant.

"Thank you, Hagrid. I will take them from here."

She opened the doors widely so that they could all fit inside quickly. Rose was astonished to see that the entrance hall was larger than the Dursleys' whole house. There were flaming torches on the walls, a vastly high ceiling, and a marble staircase that went to the upper levels.

Professor McGonagall led them across the hall, past where Rose could hear the drone of hundreds of voices coming out a doorway on the right. She led them into a small, empty chamber off the hall. Rose felt a little self-conscious of herself standing this close to everyone.

"Welcome to Hogwarts. The start-of-term banquet will begin shortly, but before you take your seats in the Great Hall, you will be sorted into your Houses. The Sorting is a very important ceremony because, while you are here, your House will be something like your family within Hogwarts. You will have classes with the rest of your House, sleep in your House dormitory, and spend free time in your House common room."

Rose looked around, catching Harry's eye and smiling.

"The four Houses are called Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. Each House has its own noble history and each has produced outstanding witches and wizards. While you are at Hogwarts, your triumphs will earn your House points, while any rule-breaking will lose points. At the end of the year, the House with the most points is awarded the house cup, a great honor. I hope each of you will be a credit to whichever House becomes yours.

"The Sorting Ceremony will take place in a few minutes in front of the rest of the school. I suggest you all smarten yourselves up as much as you can while you are waiting."

Rose saw her eyes wander over to Neville's cloak, which was fastened under his left ear, and on Ron's dirty nose. Rose brushed back her hair out of her face.

"I shall return when we are ready for you. Please wait quietly."

She left the chamber, so Rose turned to Neville to begin fixing his cloak. Hermione helped, and Neville muttered a small thanks before looking up and gasping. Rose turned to see about twenty pearlescent ghosts gliding out of a wall. A fat little monk was saying, "Forgive and forget, I say, we ought to give him a second chance –"

Another ghost in a ruff and tights cut him off, "My dear Friar, haven't we given Peeves all the chances he deserves? He gives us all a bad name and you know, he's not really even a ghost – I say, what are you all doing here?" He had just noticed the first years.

Rose held her breath, waiting for someone else to answer.

"New students!" cried the Fat Friar, smiling at them congenially. "About to be Sorted, I suppose?"

Rose nodded along with a few other students.

"Hope to see you in Hufflepuff!" the Friar cried. "My old house, you know."

"Move along now," a sharp voice said, bringing Rose back to the living. "The Sorting Ceremony's about to start." Professor McGonagall had returned; Rose watched as the ghosts glided into another wall. "Now, form a line and follow me."

Rose got into line behind Daphne and in front of Hermione; she was pretty sure that Neville was somewhere behind Hermione. They walked back out into the hall and through a pair of double doors into the Great Hall.

Mouth hanging open slightly, Rose looked around in awe. The room was lit by thousands of candles that were floating far above everyone's heads over four long tables where the rest of the student body was sitting. She looked up at the ceiling and was amazed to see a velvety black ceiling speckled with stars.

Professor McGonagall led them to the front of the hall so that they were between the other students and the teachers' table. Hermione leaned closer to whisper, "The ceiling is bewitched to look like the sky outside. I read about it in _Hogwarts, A History_."

Rose watched in anticipation as Professor McGonagall placed a four-legged stool in front of them. Then she put a very old and dirty hat on top of the stool. Rose stared at the hat, wondering what was going to happen.

Suddenly, the hat twitched, and a rip near the brim opened wide like a mouth – and the hat started a song:

"_Oh you may not think I'm pretty,_

_But don't judge on what you see,_

_I'll eat myself if you can find_

_A smarter hat than me._

_You can keep your bowlers black,_

_Your top hats sleek and tall,_

_For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat_

_And I can cap them all._

_There's nothing hidden in your head_

_The Sorting Hat can't see,_

_So try me on and I will tell you_

_Where you ought to be._

_You might belong in Gryffindor,_

_Where dwell the brave at heart,_

_Their daring, nerve, and chivalry_

_Set Gryffindors apart;_

_You might belong in Hufflepuff,_

_Where they are just and loyal,_

_Those patient Hufflepuffs are true_

_And unafraid of toil;_

_Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw,_

_If you've a ready mind,_

_Where those of wit and learning,_

_Will always find their kind;_

_Or perhaps in Slytherin_

_You'll make your real friends,_

_Those cunning folk use any means_

_To achieve their ends._

_So put me on! Don't be afraid!_

_And don't get in a flap!_

_You're in safe hands (though I have none)_

_For I'm a Thinking Cap!"_

The whole hall started clapping before becoming silent again. Rose smiled and turned to Hermione, "That doesn't seem too challenging, does it, Hermione?"

Hermione smiled back before turning to look at Professor McGonagall who had moved in front with a long roll of parchment.

"When I call your name, you will put on the hat and sit on the stool to be sorted. Abbott, Hannah!"

A pink-faced girl with blonde pigtails stepped out of line and put on the hat which fell right over her eyes, and took a seat. There was silence for a moment before –

"HUFFLEPUFF!"

The table on the right cheered as Hannah went to sit with the Hufflepuffs.

"Bones, Susan!" A girl with a light brown braid moved forward.

"HUFFLEPUFF!" and Susan moved to sit next to Hannah.

"Boot, Terry!" The boy with spiky, black hair stepped forward.

"RAVENCLAW!"

Mandy Brocklehurst, the girl that had been in Hermione's compartment with short, straight, dark hair, also went to Ravenclaw. However, Lavender Brown became the first new Gryffindor, and Rose could see Fred and George cat-calling.

Millicent Bulstrode became the first Slytherin, and Rose looked at the group critically. She had heard Ron telling Harry a load of bad stuff about them, but she refused to believe it; honestly, how could an entire group of people just be so terrible?

"Corner, Michael!" "RAVENCLAW!"

"Cornfoot, Stephen!" "RAVENCLAW!"

"Crabbe, Vincent!" "SLYTHERIN!"

"Davis, Tracey!" "SLYTHERIN!"

"Entwhistle, Kevin!" "RAVENCLAW!"

"Finch-Fletchley, Justin!" "HUFFLEPUFF!"

"Finnigan, Seamus!" "GRYFFINDOR!"

"Goldstein, Anthony!" "RAVENCLAW!'

"Goyle, Gregory!" "SLYTHERIN!"

Then "Granger, Hermione!" Rose smiled encouraging to Hermione who then walked swiftly to the stool and put the hat on eagerly. "GRYFFINDOR!"

Daphne was called next; she moved forward with as much gracefulness as she could muster towards the hat, where she sat and waited. "SLYTHERIN!"

"Hopkins, Wayne!" "HUFFLEPUFF!"

"Jones, Megan!" "HUFFLEPUFF!"

"Li, Su!" "RAVENCLAW!"

"Longbottom, Neville!" Rose groaned as he slipped and slammed into the floor on his way to the hat, but was relieved when he simply stood up and continued as if he did that every day, which Rose thought, he just might. "GRYFFINDOR!" She smiled as he ran off wearing the hat and had to come back up to the front.

"Macmillan, Ernie!" "HUFFLEPUFF!"

"Malfoy, Draco!" The blond boy that had shoved past her on the train moved forward and barely had the hat touch his head before it yelled, "SLYTHERIN!"

"McDougal, Morag!" "RAVENCLAW!"

"Midgen, Eloise!" "HUFFLEPUFF!"

"Moon, Lilo!" "HUFFLEPUFF!"

"Nott, Theodore!" "SLYTHERIN!"

"Oke, Kahili!" "GRYFFINDOR!"

"Parkinson, Pansy!" "SLYTHERIN!"

"Patil, Padma!" "RAVENCLAW!"

"Patil, Parvati!" "GRYFFINDOR!"

Rose barely had time to ponder how a pair of twins could go to two different houses because "Perks, Sally-Anne!" quickly went to Hufflepuff, and Harry was called next. Rose could hear whispers of her last name and suddenly wanted to melt into the floor. She was famous, and her name was about to be called. The hat called out Gryffindor for Harry, and Rose could tell that he looked relieved.

"Potter, Rosemary!" She groaned at the use of her full first name and could definitely hear whispers now but moved forward anyway and put the hat on, feeling the rest of the world melt away as the hat sifted through her thoughts.

"Hmm," said a small voice in her ear. "Difficult. Very difficult. A brilliant mind and talent. Also, a strong thirst to prove yourself, now that's interesting… So where shall I put you?"

Rose thought carefully, _Put me where you think I will do best._

"Even if you're not with your brother, whom you care so much about?"

_Yes._

"Well, if you're sure – better be SLYTHERIN!"

Rose heard the last word yelled out for the rest of hall, but she couldn't hear any clapping. She pulled the hat off and saw people's looks of confusion. Then the table second to the right started clapping, so she moved there to sit next to Daphne.

"Runcorn, Alene!" "HUFFLEPUFF!"

"Thomas, Dean!" "GRYFFINDOR!"

"Turpin, Lisa!" "RAVENCLAW!"

"Weasley, Ronald!" "GRYFFINDOR!"

"Zabini, Blaise!" "SLYTHERIN!"

Blaise, a rather attractive black boy, came to sit next to Rose, looking at her curiously.

Rose turned to Daphne, asking, "What did I do wrong?"

Daphne leaned in close to whisper, "No one expected you to be like in Slytherin. Any other house, but like not Slytherin."

"Oh… why –" but she was cut off by Albus Dumbledore.

He had gotten to his feet and was beaming at the students. "Welcome! Welcome to a new year at Hogwarts! Before we begin our banquet, I would like to say a few words. And here they are: Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak! Thank you!"

Everyone clapped and cheered, and Rose grinned when she saw the plates fill up with food. There was so much food, but while she was filling up her plate, she continued her conversation with Daphne. "Why wasn't I supposed to be in Slytherin?" Daphne looked uncertainly and shrugged.

"Like does it matter? You're here now anyway, so it really doesn't…" she drifted off.

"No, it doesn't. I was just curious."

She continued eating her food, no longer aware of how delicious it was. She could hear voices around her, but she felt no desire to join them. Soon, the food cleared away and dessert appeared as soon as the other food was gone. She scooped some pudding into a bowl but merely picked at it until the desserts cleared away as well.

Professor Dumbledore stood up and the hall fell silent.

"Ahem – just a few more words now that we are all fed and watered. I have a few start-of-term notices to give you. First years should note that the forest on the grounds is forbidden to all pupils. And a few of our older students would do well to remember that as well." Rose followed his eyes to the Weasley twins who were grinning.

"I have also been asked by Mr. Filch, the caretaker, to remind you all that no magic should be used between classes in the corridors. Quidditch trials will be held in the second week of the term. Anyone interested in playing for their House teams should contact Madam Hooch. And finally, I must tell you that this year, the third-floor corridor on the right-hand side is out of bounds to everyone who does not wish to die a very painful death." Rose looked up at this and narrowed her eyes. A few people laughed, but not many.

"And now, before we go to bed, let us sing the school song!" Rose noticed that none of the teachers seemed particularly pleased about this. She watched as a long golden ribbon shot out of his wand, but she put her head down on the table; she wasn't at all in the mood to sing.

She lifted her head back up when she heard Dumbledore say, "And now, bedtime. Off you trot!"

The Slytherins waited until everyone else had left before leaving the Great Hall together. They walked across the entrance hall to one of the doors leading off of it. Down several steps and through several dark corridors, they came upon a stretch of bare, damp stone wall.

A blonde Prefect walked to the front and said, "Blood status," to the wall. At this, a concealed stone door in the wall slid open. The older students behind the first years herded them quickly inside.

The Slytherin common room was a long, low underground room with rough stone walls and ceiling from which round, greenish lamps were hanging on chains. A fire was crackling under an elaborately carved mantelpiece ahead of them, and several Slytherins were already silhouetted around it in high-backed chairs. The Prefect that had shown them the way in pointed down a rather dark corridor that was labeled First Years.

"Go down a little and the girls' dormitory is on the right and boys' dormitory will be on the left, and you can fight over the best beds," she smirked at them. Rose huffed and took the initiative to walk down there first only to be stopped by that blond boy, Malfoy.

She didn't care how much her eyes blazed in fury as she watched all the other girls go first.

"Don't worry, all the beds are the same, and our belongings have already chosen which bed you'll get anyway. My name is Draco Malfoy, and I'm so pleased that you could join me here in Slytherin. Would you like me to call you by your full name?" He had steely grey eyes, and Rose knew from some instinct not to trust him.

"You can call me Rose. Draco?"

"Yes, you may use my first name. I can't wait to get to know you better, but," he looked at some of the older students behind him, "I think they want us to go to bed now."

They walked down the dark corridor together and then parted at the boys' and girls' dormitories. Rose walked in without so much as a glance back at him and walked down another flight of stairs into the girls' dormitory.


	8. The Slytherin Girls

**The Slytherin Girls**

The other four girls were waiting for her when she reached the bottom of the stairs. Daphne smiled at her from her designated bed, but the dark eyes of one girl with short, black hair stared at her menacingly.

"Now that the Girl-Who-Lived has decided to join us, we can get to know each other. We are going to be living in the same dorm for seven years after all," Rose fidgeted under her stare.

"My name is Pansy Parkinson, and I'm a pureblood. Now, I know Daphne. We're good friends, aren't we Daph?"

Daphne nodded in agreement, but Rose thought she could see apprehension in her eyes.

"I'm Rose Potter, in case any of you didn't know. I know I'm not pureblood, but –"

"You're a half-blood," Pansy cut in nastily.

"Oh," Rose said quietly.

Pansy turned to a girl with limp, brown hair, "What's your name?"

"Tracey Davis. I'm a half-blood too. Both my parents are half-bloods," she trailed off quietly. Pansy wore a derisive smirk. She turned quickly to the last girl who was rather large with sleek black hair running down her shoulders.

"And you are?"

The girl was sitting on her bed, looking down into her hands, "I'm Millicent Bulstrode," she had an awkward raspy voice. "My father was a Pureblood, but my mother is a Muggle."

Pansy looked at her disdainfully. Obviously, the thought of having Muggle relations so close in contact was a very contemptuous thought. She moved toward her bed and began rummaging through her trunk. She pulled out five identical compacts; she handed them to each of the girls. Rose turned hers over, looking at the marksmanship and realizing how rich Pansy's family must be. It had the crest of Slytherin, within entwining vines of green and silver.

No one spoke for a moment. Then Rose said, "Sorry, but... why are you giving us mirrors?"

Pansy sneered at Rose. "Slytherins must remain united, no matter how detestable some of its members are. These will keep us in constant contact with each other."

Rose nodded slowly, still not understanding.

Pansy was about to say something very derogatory, but Daphne cut in, demonstrating by opening her compact and looking into the mirror. She called to it, "Rose," and Rose felt her compact warm up and vibrate slightly in her hand. She opened it and Daphne was staring back at her through the mirror. She smiled in amazement at the Daphne in her mirror.

"You are to keep these with you at all times, in case of some such emergency. You are not allowed to show them to anyone, especially not teachers or non-Slytherins. Got it?" Pansy asked harshly. The rest of the girls mumbled quiet assents. "Good, now let's go to bed since Snape likes to have a meeting the first morning, and we'll have to be at breakfast by 7." She turned to her bed and began getting ready to sleep.

Rose now took her time looking around their dorm. The room was pentagon-shaped and was lit by a small chandelier hanging from the middle of the room. There were five twin-sized four-post beds with dark green curtains around them. The beds' heads lay in the middle of their respective walls, with a vanity dresser on one side and a set of drawers on the other. Both the vanity and the drawers had the crest of Slytherin and were made of mahogany. Rose noticed that there was a switch on her vanity that would make a dozen small flames ignite for more light.

There were no windows, but there was a discreetly hidden door in the middle of the floor. Rose was curious that she pulled it open and climbed down the ladder that was against a side of the opening.

"Hey Rose, wait up!" Rose paused at the top of the ladder. Daphne ran over to her and kneeled down. "Can I go with you?" she whispered quietly.

Rose nodded and continued down. It was completely dark until she felt her foot touch the ground, which nearly sent her stumbling, but she held herself steady. The moment both her feet touched bottom a row of torches lit up, which not only provided light, but warmth as well; it was absolutely frigid down there.

She pulled her robes closer and waited for Daphne to get down.

When they were both in the room, they looked around curiously. It was obviously a bathroom, but it gave off the appearance of never being used. The sinks and toilets were grimy and the showers were covered in what they could only guess to be dirt. The air was stale and the floor was slick with moisture from the air. Rose found it odd that the flames were red, but they cast a greenish glow over everything, or perhaps everything was giving off a greenish glow.

"Nice bathroom," Daphne said sarcastically.

Rose rolled her eyes, "It's usable… I've –." She was about to say that she'd had to clean the bathrooms at home, but decided not to tell her new friend about her Muggle life. She didn't think Daphne would think highly of her if she knew.

"Ew, I'm starting to feel, like, dirty," Daphne said, rubbing her arms self-consciously.

"Let's get back up and go to bed then," Rose said heavily. "Tomorrow's going to be a big day."


	9. The Royalties

**The Royalties**

While Rose and the other girls fell asleep, a group of upperclassman students was meeting in secret.

Twenty-four students filled a table inside a beautifully-decorated chamber. At the head of the elaborately carved table sat two students: a male and female with the initials HB and HG carved into badges upon their chests. The Head Girl stood and cleared her throat loudly enough so that they could begin the meeting.

"Now, I know that all of you, besides our incoming Prefects, know what this meeting is about," she started clearly. She spoke with a deep voice for a girl, but it suited her long, dark hair, fair complexion, and curvy build. She held authority, which her male counterpart did not. She didn't mind though; he was nice enough and smart enough to go along with whatever she said.

"This meeting is where we choose our House Royalties. Yes, fifth years, the rumors are true. However, we strive to make sure that they are kept _rumors_ and nothing else. We wouldn't want students to begin thinking that they're actually royalty, now would we?" She pulled an eight-sided die from her bag. "And who shall go first?"

She rolled the die down the middle of the table. One of the Prefects read it quickly, "Hufflepuff boys!"

The Head Girl smiled at the Head Boy and sat down. He stood and picked up a scroll from the table. He quirked an eyebrow slightly as he realized there was an unequal amount of Hufflepuff girls and boys.

"Justin Finch-Fletchley. Did anyone get a chance to talk to him and get to know him?"

The sixth year Hufflepuff male Prefect stood. "I spoke with him, sir. He is a Muggle-born whose parents barely allowed him to attend Hogwarts, due to the fact that he is almost Muggle royalty," the prefect finished, smirking slightly at the irony.

"Wayne Hopkins?"

The Prefect remained standing. "He is a half-blood. He seemed to be an extraordinarily nervous child, sir, and I really could not get much out of him."

"Ernie Macmillan?"

The sixth year sat down, and the fifth year female Hufflepuff stood. "His family has been pureblood for nine generations, and he seems to flaunt that fact. From what I could tell, he seemed rather arrogant."

The Head Boy nodded, "And last, Lilo Moon?"

The seventh year female Hufflepuff stood. "If I may speak; he is my brother. He is a pureblood. The only reason he wanted to be in Hufflepuff was because I was," she smiled, thinking about the bond between the two of them.

"Thank you, all of you. Now, if the Hufflepuffs would vote on the Hufflepuff boy they wish to become their new Prince, raise your hand when his name is called.

A few minutes later, the Head Boy declared Justin Finch-Fletchley the new Hufflepuff Prince.

The Head Girl summoned the die back and rolled it again.

"Slytherin boys!"

The seventh year male Slytherin stood before the Head Boy could. "Vincent Crabbe. Gregory Goyle. Draco Malfoy. Theodore Nott. Blaise Zabini. Crabbe and Goyle are of lesser intelligence than would be worthy of the Prince of Slytherin. Nott is a half-blood. So, that leaves Malfoy and Zabini," he concluded, sitting down.

The Head Boy stood, looking flustered and knowing there was nothing he could say against their methods of choosing their royalty, "Who spoke with Draco Malfoy?"

Three Prefects tried to stand at once, but the seventh year female Slytherin stared the other two down until they took their seats.

She spoke with the elegance of a proper pureblood upbringing. "He comes from a good pureblood background, and he doesn't have a whore for a mother," she spat out with distaste.

The rest of the Slytherins nodded in agreement. The Head Boy looked around and asked, "Does anyone disagree with that choice?" No one moved. "Okay, Draco Malfoy is our new Slytherin Prince."

The die was rolled again, and "Ravenclaw girls" was announced. The Head Girl was already standing from rolling the die. She called out, "Mandy Brocklehurst, Su Li, Morag McDougal, Padma Patil, Lisa Turpin. Who is your new Princess, Ravenclaw?"

The seventh year male Ravenclaw stood and saluted the Head Girl. "We choose Su Li, if it pleases you. We are honored to have her in our very school, and we have her in our own house. She was requested by schools all over the world, but she chose Hogwarts. I think you will find her suitable," he finished, sending a smile to his friend. The Head Girl smiled back warmly but kept it as formal as she could.

"Fine, Su Li is the new Ravenclaw Princess."

She rolled the die again. "Gryffindor girls!" She unrolled the scroll for Gryffindor. "Adiva Aziz, Lavender Brown, Hermione Granger, Kahili Oke, Parvati Patil. Who wishes to speak first?" she asked in the way for Gryffindor.

"If I may?" The Head Girl narrowed her eyes. That was that know-it-all, bossy Weasley. He was nothing like the rest of his fun-loving brothers.

"Go ahead."

"Hermione – I mean, Granger – appears to be a wonderful student. She's eager to learn and very intelligent. Oke would not speak to me. Aziz was a disgraceful eater. Brown and Patil… giggled too much."

The Head Girl raised her eyebrows, "They giggled too much? Are you against apparent happiness, fifth-year?"

He looked shocked, "N-no, of course not! It's just that, we value intelligence almost as much as Ravenclaw –" He would have finished his statement, but the Head Girl was positively glowering at him.

"Would anyone else like to speak?" No one did. "Then let's vote."

Hermione Granger became the newest Gryffindor Princess.

The Head Girl summoned the die again and rubbed her eyes tiredly. She rolled it and soon heard the "Hufflepuff girls" that followed.

"Hannah Abbott, Susan Bones, Megan Jones, Eloise Midgen, Sally-Anne Perks?"

One of the Prefect males stood, the Head Girl no longer cared who it was, and said, "She is sweet and seems to fit into the character of Hufflepuff well. We believe that she has already found a best friend in Susan Bones who is also a relatively sweet person. However, Hannah appears to be quite naïve and very gullible. Eloise Midgen has a bad background that she herself is not even completely aware. She believes she is Muggle-born, but we know otherwise. She isn't all that intelligent as well.

"Sally-Anne Perks is a very peppy little girl, rather adorable too. And Megan Jones… I didn't get a chance to talk to her," he looked down shamefully.

"Anyone else get a change to speak to Megan Jones?"

A few heads shook, but besides that, no one made any gestures of acknowledgement. "Am I to assume this means that she is such an antisocial person that none of you were able to find the time to talk just once with her?"

When no one made any other kinds of response, she continued, "Well, I suppose I am. So, let's vote then.

A minute later Susan Bones became the Hufflepuff Princess.

The die landed next on Ravenclaw boys.

The Head Boy stood and asked who their new Prince would be.

The seventh year stood again and announced that Terry Boot was their chosen Ravenclaw Prince.

Gryffindor boys were rolled next. The Head Boy called out the names: Seamus Finnigan, Neville Longbottom, Harry Potter, Dean Thomas, and Ronald Weasley.

The Gryffindors snickered, looking at the Slytherins with contemptuous expressions.

"Well?" asked the Head Girl with a touch of impatience in her voice.

The Gryffindor seventh year male stood and said, "We choose Harry Potter as our Gryffindor Prince." The Head Girl groaned inwardly. So, they were going to be like that and force the Slytherins into doing something they would hate.

"Slytherin, pick your princess," the Head Girl said.

The seventh year male Slytherin spoke quickly and quietly with his female counterpart, "It was supposed to be between Greengrass and Parkinson, but now the Gryffindors have ruined that. We must choose Potter, or we'll lose face."

"We don't _have_ to choose anyone. We are Slytherins, and no one makes us do what we don't what to," she said spitefully, looking around the room spitefully. She looked thoughtful for a moment, "However, she would make a beautiful Princess. You know this will just kill McGonagall. She wanted the pair. Rose Potter could prove to be quite the resource."

They nodded in agreement. The male stood and said, "We choose Rose Potter as the Slytherin Princess."

The Gryffindors looked stunned, but the Head Girl smiled. "Good. Now then, we have Harry Potter and Hermione Granger representing Gryffindor, Terry Boot and Su Li will represent Ravenclaw, Justin Finch-Fletchley and Susan Bones for Hufflepuff, and Draco Malfoy and Rose Potter for Slytherin. Let's see if you all made good decisions. Now, onto King and Queen for the fourth year Royalties," she continued, wondering how long this would take.


	10. The First Day

**The First Day**

The next morning, Professor Snape pulled all of his first years aside and proceeded to explain what being a Slytherin meant. Rose noticed that he wouldn't look at her.

"It is an honor to be considered a Slytherin. We are a united force against the rest of the school because you will soon find that they hate you. We do not question why because to do so is considered _weak_. We take their insults with honor, and we come back with insults of our own.

"Never get discouraged as a Slytherin because then they will know that we are mere humans. That is something that could prove fatal to our overall repute," he smirked and continued, "We are the bloodthirsty Slytherins who have no soul, no feelings, no emotions. Do not encourage other houses to think that we do. Our reputation depends on you. Do not fail me."

He then handed out their class schedules, pausing slightly when he held Rose's and smirking.

Rose looked at her schedule tentatively:

History of Magic: 8:00 a.m. – 8:50 a.m. TWF in R207

Herbology: 9:00 a.m. – 9:50 a.m. MRF in GH1

Transfiguration: 10:00 a.m. – 10:50 a.m. MTR in R713

Charms: 11:00 a.m. – 11:50 a.m. MWR in R409

Lunch: 12:00 p.m. – 12:50 p.m.

Potions: 1:00 p.m. – 1:50 p.m. TW in R7

10:00 a.m. – 11:50 a.m. F in R7

Wizarding Ethics: 2:00 p.m. – 2:50 p.m. MWR in R314

Defense Against

the Dark Arts: 3:00 p.m. – 3:50 p.m. MTW in R502

Rose groaned at all the numbers and letters, resolving to make a better-looking schedule later. Her first class was at nine, so she had about an hour and a half to eat breakfast and try to find her first class.

She grabbed her books for Herbology, Transfiguration, and Charms, and dashed off to breakfast. She saw Harry trying to scarf down breakfast. She walked over to him and asked, "Can I see your schedule?"

He handed it over to her and she compared their schedules. Her face fell; they only had Double Potions on Friday together. That and Wizarding Ethics.

"Well, I guess we can always hangout together after Potions on Friday. We're both free in the afternoon."

Ron, who was sitting right next to Harry, turned around and said, "Why would we want to hangout with a Slytherin? You are nothing but greedy, conniving –"

"Hey! That's my sister you're talking to, Ron. If you have issues with her, you'll have to deal with me first, okay? And if you're going to be my friend, you might as well be hers too," Harry snapped at his new friend; no one talked about his sister that way.

Rose scoffed, "Don't bother, Harry. I see he's already under the delusion of house rivalries. It's not like I wanted a friend like him anyways." With that she swept away to the Slytherin table where they too were now glaring at her. She glared back defiantly until they went back to their eating.

Without really thinking about what she was eating, she just put food in her mouth. Her anger was almost at a boiling point. How dare he accuse her of being something like that when he didn't even know her? A wisp of thought floated into her mind; it was Snape's voice and what he had told them about earlier. He told them they would be hated; all the houses would have the same general feelings about them, and that was why they had to stick together.

Rose sighed and turned to Daphne to start up a conversation.

~{-}~

Upon arriving to her first class, which she found easily enough since all of the Slytherins walked together, she discovered that Slytherins had classes with the Ravenclaws until lunch. She didn't mind that because the Ravenclaws seemed to be the ones that actually got to know people before judging.

The professor teaching her first class was a squat witch by the name of Professor Sprout. She was pretty much filthy, and Rose wished desperately that she had more than ten minutes between classes. Perhaps she could look up a useful spell later that could help…

In Transfiguration, Professor McGonagall started out by giving them a lecture about how not to mess around in her class. Rose could see the professor looking at Daphne, who was twirling her hair around her finger listlessly. Then they were handed matches and told to turn them into needles. By the end of class, no one had managed to achieve it completely, but Rose's did at least turn silver and metallic; it was just shaped like a match still.

Charms was taught by a tiny man named Professor Flitwick. He was so short that he had to stand on a pile of books to see over his desk. He started out the class by taking roll, and when he got to Rose's name, he got so excited that he tumbled off his books out of sight. Rose just sighed and leaned on her arm.

Finally, lunch came. She took her seat next to Daphne, and looked up immediately because she felt eyes on her. Her eyes met with one of the Weasley twins. He appeared to be having some sort of inner struggle, and Rose didn't think he realized she was looking back at him. Eventually he looked back down, but Rose couldn't get his expression out of her mind.

"Hello? Rose? Can you hear me?" Rose blinked. She turned to see Daphne smirking at her. "You like him, don't you?" Rose didn't respond and continued eating. "You do! Algh!" she said, sticking her tongue out in distaste. "He's a Gryffindor."

Rose rolled her eyes, "No, I thought he was a Hufflepuff." She went to stand, but Daphne pulled her back down.

"What are you doing? Slytherin first years are supposed to stay together. We're not supposed to wander off alone because who knows what will happen to us? My mother told me about this story when she was like a sixth year. One of the first years was attacked by a fellow student, and all the girl could tell the teachers was that it was a Gryffindor. She like never saw the person's face or anything." Daphne brushed back her white hair and continued, "So, that's why Slytherin always travels everywhere together. The world isn't safe for us."

So, Rose complied and waited for rest of her roommates, trying not to think about that particular Weasley twin, especially since she didn't even know which one it was.

**A/N: I hadn't posted to this story in a while because it wasn't getting very good reviews, and it made me feel less inclined to continue writing, but a certain review (from Guest, so I can't actually name you) made me start back up. I'm going to be going back through and checking and revising soon, so bear with me. Also, I'm not currently doing any pairings because they're still in first year, but I'll throw in a bit of puberty-ridden awkward moments occasionally, like that one with the Weasley twin, but that doesn't mean that that's who Rose is going to marry. Honestly, normal people don't meet their soul-mates at the age of eleven.**


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